Читать книгу Introduction to Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology - Robert Weis - Страница 49

The prevalence of psychological disorders also varies across gender. In early childhood, many disorders are more typically seen in boys. For example, boys are 4 times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and 3 times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with ADHD. Boys are also more likely than girls to show disruptive behavior problems, such as oppositional defiant disorder. The prevalence of other disorders is approximately equal in young boys and girls (Perou et al., 2016).

By adolescence, however, girls are more likely than boys to experience mental health problems (Kessler et al., 2012a). Adolescent boys continue to be at greater risk than adolescent girls for conduct problems and physical aggression. Similarly, adolescent boys are slightly more likely than adolescent girls to develop problems with alcohol and other drugs. However, adolescent girls are 2 to 3 times more likely than adolescent boys to experience problems with depression or anxiety. Furthermore, adolescent girls are 5 to 10 times more likely than adolescent boys to be diagnosed with an eating disorder.

Psychologists have struggled to explain why girls show a dramatic increase in mental health problems during adolescence. Researchers have suggested many causes ranging from biological changes during puberty to unreasonable social–cultural expectations placed on females throughout the lifespan. Recently, however, researchers have identified two particularly important factors: stressful life events and the way girls think about those events.

In one study, researchers followed a large sample of adolescents from late childhood through middle adolescence (J. L. Hamilton, Stange, Abramson, & Alloy, 2015). Most youths reported increased stress during this time period; however, girls were particularly sensitive to interpersonal stressors—that is, stressful events that involved important people or relationships in their lives. For example, girls were especially likely to report difficulties with parents, peers, or romantic partners during their tween and teen years.

Perhaps more importantly, the way girls thought about these interpersonal stressors influenced their mood. For example, adolescents who believed they were responsible for these interpersonal problems (e.g., “It’s my fault my mom is angry with me”) were more likely to experience depression than adolescents who did not blame themselves (e.g., “My mom is just grouchy after working all day”). Similarly, adolescents who tended to overthink these events (e.g., “I wonder why my friends are mad at me? Was it something I said?”) were also more likely to experience problems with depression than girls who did not dwell on these events. These findings suggest that girls’ thoughts about interpersonal problems can greatly determine their well-being (From Science to Practice).